There’s really nothing worse than biting down on a corn nut, Jolly Rancher hard candy, or even a soft piece of bread, only to find that you’ve cracked or broken your filling. Or maybe you woke up and realized that something was wrong, that your filling had fallen out overnight.

You may not feel pain immediately from the cracked or missing filling, but it’s still very important to seek dental treatment immediately. All of the dentists featured on this website are typically able to see dental emergency patients the same day.

The signs of a cracked, broken, or missing filling could include the following:
• a jagged or rough edge to your tooth
• sensitivity to hot, cold, sweets, or chewing pressure
• difficulty flossing because the floss is getting caught in a particular area
• the sensation that you can move a part of your tooth or filling with your tongue

In some cases, we’ll be able to place a new filling on your damaged tooth; in other cases, we might need to replace the old filling with a new crown.

If you’re getting a new filling, the good news is that there are white, composite fillings that are durable and long-lasting – a vast cosmetic improvement over the old silver amalgam fillings.

What causes fillings to crack, break, or even fall out? You can’t always blame it on corn nuts or Jolly Ranchers – those might just have been the final factors.

Common reasons for fillings failing or falling out include:
• dental decay that formed under the filling
• intense chewing pressure that weakened the filling over time
• clenching or grinding (also known as bruxism)
• changes in your medical condition, diet, or prescription medications